Daily Times

PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday szaid that a historic jalsa would take place in Lahore on December 13, and Pakistan Democratic Movement would send a strong message to Islamabad.

“Just like Karachi, Peshawar, and Gujranwala, Lahore will also send a strong message to Islamabad [proving] that our puppet prime minister stands alone [in the capital],” he said, addressing a press conference alongside PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz.

The PPP chair, stressing that the people of Pakistan are in favour of democratic forces, said that the government and its” facilitators” should know that they will not be able to stand between the masses and their aspirations for long.

“We believe that the PDM’s first phase has been successful, and after December 13, we will enter the second phase. And all of you will see that this government will pack its bags itself,” he said.

Bilawal, replying to a question, said that all the parties in PDM were political parties and that they would not want to create such a situation that benefits a “third force”.

Speaking on the decision to submit resignations, Bilawal said that he would take the matter up with his party’s Central Executive Committee.

Meanwhile, Maryam thanked Bilawal for inquiring about PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s health and expressing his condolences over her grandmother, Shamim Akhtar’s, death.

“We ate together [..] and spoke on several matters of PDM and the upcoming jalsa,” she said.

The PML-N vice-president, slamming the Centre, said that they were considering holding a dialogue “after they realised that their government is slipping away from them”.

Maryam reiterated that the jalsa would be held at Minar-e-Pakistan. The PPP chairperson had visited the PML-N vice-president at Lahore’s Jati Umrah today afternoon.

Bilawal reached Lahore Thursday and held a meeting with party stalwarts to devise a strategy for the upcoming PDM jalsa at the Minar-e-Pakistan on December 13.

PML-N leaders have said that “big decisions” are expected to take place at the jalsa with many political analysts predicting the PDM lawmakers will announce resigning from the provincial and national assemblies. Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that if the Opposition lawmakers resign from parliament, the government will hold by-elections on their seats “and come back with more strength”.

Earlier in the day, Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat reiterated that the government will not grant permission for PDM’s December 13 jalsa in Lahore. He made the statement after a meeting with intelligence officers and the home secretary. Basharat said action will be taken against the organisers and facilitators of jalsas and rallies.